Szechuan in Kansas City

Just a heads up for Kansas Citians or visitors - Kansas City's first szechuan restaurant has opened up! It's called Szechuan.

They opened on Sunday, March 15th, but I didn't make it in until yesterday. I asked to see a menu, and was handed your standard American Chinese take-out menu. To say I was disappointed was an understatement. Luckily, I had the gall to ask if they had a Chinese menu. Score! All the favourites from husband-wife lung slices (fu qi fei pian) to ma po dofu to twice cooked pork (hui go rou).

Consequently, that's exactly what the wife and I grabbed to go. The fu qi fei pian was amazing. Not too oily, salty, spicy slices of tripe and beef cut nicely with peanuts and cilantro. The twice cooked pork looked like your standard takeout (crinkle carrot slices, water chestnuts, etc) but had a definite chuan appeal to it. The fermented beans they use here are definitely homemade and appear to be fava beans. Nice crunch and funk to them. The ma po dofu was the loser of the evening, but still had a nice ma la thing going.

It's on 39th street West just past Wyoming. I will post an address after lunch today.

Very cool, thanks for the heads up.

I noticed the signage in that place, I think it's the old Bella spot/Scotty's on 39th/Macaluso's?

Hopes were not high because, well, I guess they're just usually not.

I'm not szechuan expert, but definitely look forward to checking it out.

I just got back from lunch. The name of the restaurant is actually Sze Chuan House.



I went back for the fu qi fei pian today. It was, again, amazing. It had an interesting vinegar-y kick to it I've never had before. You can see at about 4 o'clock on the plate is one of the house made dou ban jian fava beans.



At the recommendation of Peter, the affable waiter, I tried the ji ding (hot braised chicken). Very good. The pickled chili's, roasted/wok'd chili's and szechuan peppercorn made this a dish to remember. Better than the twice cooked pork last night, for sure.

This cost me a paltry $14,50. Not cheap for lunch, but it could have been worse.

On a side note:The owners/wait staff there are extremely friendly and willing to please. I asked them about making tea smoked duck, and all they asked was for a call a day ahead for advance preparation.

I'd really like to see this place succeed in a "doomed" location (2 or 3 failed restaurant ventures in the past 2 years) on 39th. Perhaps the Kansas City folks can get together for a dinner sometime?

belgepunk wrote:Perhaps the Kansas City folks can get together for a dinner sometime?

Absolutely.

Thanks for the pics. Good stuff.

Oh wow, this is soooo great! A *real* Sichuan resto in KC! I saw the sign last time I was in town (c. 20 Feb), and just scoffed, 'yeah, right, like we're going to get REAL Sichuanese in KC...' So, needless to say, I'm really pleased. Can't wait 'til I can give it a try. Oh boy, real Sichuanese!

Geo